Course in 2010

The place

Where Italy is still authentically Italian, on a hill at the foot of the Sabine mountains, with beautiful views over the Tiber valley, here you will find Torri in Sabina and the agriturismo In Sabina enjoying its unique position and the absence of traffic or other city noises. The creativity will take place amongst olive, walnut and oak trees at a distance of only 60 km from Rome. The property has seven lush acres with a natural spring, pond, gardens and a swimming pool waiting for you. It is also possible to have a massage or treatment offered by the excellent residental therapists.
The “agriturismo” is owned and managed by an English lady, who also runs yoga courses. The houses are two beautifully restored 17th century stone farmhouses, furnished with great care and contemporary art. There is a swimming pool and different terraces in the midst of the greenery where you can work or relax.
The surrounding area is rich in history and natural beauty. It is worthwhile hiking around old medieval villages, natural protected areas or one of the nice old towns. For those who are not attending the art course there are also other things to do like horseback riding, the hot springs, walking and tennis.


The courses

The courses for drawing, painting and sculpture will take place on the different terraces and under the shadow of beautiful old trees. Three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon are devoted to these activities. The courses start for everybody with practical exercises and games designed to encourage us to let go of our fixed ideas and habits in order to help us to connect to our inner source of creativity. Afterwards everybody works on his/ her own material (drawing, painting or sculpture; it is also possible to work with different stones) under individual guidance through all artistic and technical problems. Exploring different techniques, without pre-conceived ideas about what should be done, can release our creativity to a degree we never dreamed we could attain. As a by-product we learn a lot about the nature of our own creative process and how to put it to work in our daily life. The courses are appropriate for beginners as well as for those who seek further development or want to discover new techniques.
All working materials are provided. For painting we use acrylic colours but also pigments, crayons, and charcol etc. For three dimensional work, we may use materials from nature, combining them with wire, paper or anything else. During this course we will discover which material suits us best for what we want to express. The emphasis i will be on experiencing new approaches using different materials and. under the very personal guidance of professional artists, will offer new opportunities for personal development. In addition we will devote particular attention to body movement and guided meditations and exercises designed to help us to access our creative space and to relax into the flow of doing without effort. The experience of the teachers will do the rest, helping us to turn all difficulties that we may encounter into pleasant challenges to enjoy.

The teacher

Marina Büning is a professional sculptor and painter. Originally from Hamburg, she has been living in Sabina for the last few years. She has a long and vast experience in leading sculpture, painting and dance courses in Germany and in Italy. She has deeply investigated the mechanisms of the creative process and developed a set of games and techniques to facilitate its development. She has had exhibitions in Italy, Denmark, Germany and France, and speaks English, German and Italian fluently.

Anna Engert lives in South Germany and in Tuscany. She is painter and sculptor and has a diploma from the “Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara”. For many years she has been teaching in different art colleges and summer schools. She has a special interest in ancient and actual forms of wisdom and how to integrate them in our daily lives. She has had exhibitions in Germany, the UK, USA and Italy, and speaks English, German and Italian fluently.


The dates

May 22 to 29, 2010

The price

The cost is 1100 €. For early birds (before the 15th of March) the price will be 1000 €. The price includes 7 nights in a double room, and full board with the exception of one evening meal out. Your booking will be confirmed when you have paid the deposit of 150€. Details will be explained contacting us. ( see on the left)